Simple living in the country - back to basics

Cheery_Daff

That's one way of putting it hb 🙄😂

Today hasn't been very eventful, thank goodness. Couple of dog walks, trip to town for dog supplies (poo bags, dog shampoo, more food, pointless dog toys that have been completely ignored etc). And a whole lot of sitting about - 3 hours sleep has left me fit for nowt 🙄

Tomorrow I will be a human dynamo! 😂 Or at least get a couple of things done...

* bath dog
* long dog walk
* ring gym to book TP appointment
* paint rest of bedroom ceiling
* put some washing on
* ring LPG people
* possibly batch cook something else

That'll do for now I think

Fortune_Smiles

Sounds like you are embracing being a (temporary?) dog owner Cheery.  FDawg is not interested in toys unless they are animal body parts he can chew (eg buffalo horns) or toys that have treats inside.  He does have a teddy that lives in his bed and he cuddles up to that occasionally.  Maybe take pooch to the pet shop to choose his own toy?  He may just be too anxious at the moment to be interested in toys though.

Enjoy your dog walking.

Fortune x

Cheery_Daff

Very temporary Fortune, and I'm enduring rather than embracing 🙄 I know the poor thing is having a tough week, but he was never an endearing dog 🙄 Not his fault of course, poorly trained, just jumps right in your face all the time. 

Mostly he's not too bad though, although doing a lot of pathering about here, probably just sussing out new environment, or looking for Mr Cheery Snr. Mr Cheery was going to sleep in the living room with him the first night, but he wouldn't settle so ended up shutting him in the dog crate, and he was fine (it wasn't til 5am though!)

Last night we did the same and went to bed, and he howled the place down. Tried to leave him for a bit, but couldn't do it for long, and I ended up on the sofa with him.

Not ideal - any suggestions? He usually sleeps on Mr Cheery Snr's bed, but we'd rather he didn't sleep on ours, and I don't really want to sleep on the sofa for the foreseeable future. He's used to having someone with him ALL the time.

Mr Cheery Snr will be in hospital for a few days, and then has decided to take advantage of us having the dog to go on holiday for a few days (!! Personally I'm not convinced that's realistic, but we weren't going to argue with him while he's in the hospital...). We've likely got the dog for at least a week, if not 2.

Any suggestions? I can deal with him being a bit annoying in the day, but I'd rather be able to leave him downstairs overnight. 

joedenise

Could you put him in the crate in your bedroom?  That would reassure him that he's not on his own.  It's very difficult when you look after someone else's dog when they haven't been trained the way you would have trained it if it had been your own dog.  We don't have dogs now but ours always slept on the landing outside our bedroom and were quite happy there - I think they knew we were still nearby and would wake if they needed to go outside for example.  I certainly wouldn't have him on your bed when it's not something you would do yourself if you had a dog!

Fortune_Smiles

I'd second what @joedenise says.  If pooch is used to being with his owner all of the time he will be finding it very difficult at the moment.  The howling is something you just have to ignore if you want it to stop - however, that can take weeks.  Poor you... and poor pooch.  FDawg sleeps in his crate in the kitchen at night and loves having a cosy safe place to curl up in.  However, he'd much rather be upstairs on the bed with us if it were allowed so we have to deal with a little night time crying occasionally.  We can tell now if he's genuinely scared (thunder, aeroplanes flying over, ravenous dog eating sparrows chirping at the window) or if he's trying his luck, and know when to get up to him.

Fortune x

starnac

Yes I second the advice here. Our dog sleeps in our bedroom but has her own bed in there. She does try to sneak up on our bed when she thinks we are asleep but we don't allow it and she's told to go back to her bed. It was hard at first, like sleep training a child to stay in their own bed, a lot of sleepless nights. But it did get easier and she's well aware she's not allowed on our bed (although she still tries it on)

If you are consistent with your rules the dog will learn. 

Nonnadiluca

Our second dog didn't like being left alone at night. What worked for us : we put her in the crate and put a blanket just over the top, then sat on a chair next to the crate. We didn't talk to her or engage in any way, but just knowing one of us was there helped her to settle. Once she was asleep we could leave her for the rest of the night. Good luck!

greent

Fortune_Smiles said:

 FDawg sleeps in his crate in the kitchen at night and loves having a cosy safe place to curl up in.  We can tell now if he's genuinely scared (thunder, aeroplanes flying over, ravenous dog eating sparrows chirping at the window) or if he's trying his luck, and know when to get up to him.

Fortune x

😂😂😂 Poor FD! X

Fortune_Smiles

greent said:

Fortune_Smiles said:

 FDawg sleeps in his crate in the kitchen at night and loves having a cosy safe place to curl up in.  We can tell now if he's genuinely scared (thunder, aeroplanes flying over, ravenous dog eating sparrows chirping at the window) or if he's trying his luck, and know when to get up to him.

Fortune x

😂😂😂 Poor FD! X

He's a wimp greent - scared of everything 😆

Watty1

Can the dog crate fit in your room? If so do that.   We once had a lovely dog that we had rehomed and took him on holiday to a lovely place with sitting room and bedroom etc.  Ended up moving all the furniture around so one of the rooms contained dog  crate and bed and rest was fitted in as we could.  The suite idea was destroyed but the dog was calmer.    Just being with you in crate will probably solve the problem.  or crate just outside room with door open.  He is pack animal and has lost his pack even if the pack was only him and one human.